


Sometimes; Solangelo

by Franfics



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Additional tags to be added when I’m not so goddamn tired, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Mortal, M/M, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:41:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29172831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Franfics/pseuds/Franfics
Summary: “You can’t refuse my order, William,”“I can, doctors orders,”“You’re a barista,”“A barista with a ambitions,”Nico is a sleep deprived painter, Will is a med student and part time barista.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 7
Kudos: 47





	1. Chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> :))

Nico shot forward in a panic, his senses returning as he gasped for air. Light was streaming through the window, illuminating his desk. Paints were strewn on top of it, only leaving space for an occasional mug or two. He was still dressed, the studs on his jacket poking at his flesh. His mouth felt dirty, almost enough to make him brush his teeth, almost. 

Standing up, he made his way to the bathroom, stopping at the mirror. The dark circles under his eyes contrast with his pale skin. He liked this about himself, he had always taken favor to contrast. Though, he would prefer to seem less sickly. He would also prefer to _be_ less sickly. Huffing at the thought, he splashed cold water over his face. Eyeing the expensive face wash Piper had bought him for Christmas before turning to walk out.

Sitting on his bed again, he leaned toward the partially open window, reaching for a cigarette to find a disappointingly empty pocket. He hadn’t bought more since his last pack. A grimace shadowed his face as he swung his legs inwardly, fixing his posture.

City noises echoed from the street, various citizens on their way to work stuck in a shouting match. Preparing himself join them, he ruffled his hair and straightened his shirt. His shift wasn't for a while but he couldn't stay too long in one place. 

\----

Cold air nipped at his skin as he walked. The sun was out but hardly, leaving Nico to shiver under the morning sky. Desperate for caffeine or anything hot, he circled around the corner, arriving at his favorite coffee shop. 

The warmth from the cafe immediately hit him as he walked through the door. The smell of coffee strong and familiar. A man stepped aside as he took a place in line, nodding to him. Time seemed to stop as he waited, meticulously tracing his surroundings mentally. He really ought to paint it eventually, the open spaces and metal tables fit the melancholy of his general work. He wasn't sure he could quite capture it though, the sounds, the feelings, the smells, they all felt too foreign, too known, to replicate. 

"Up next!" A voice announced. Nico stepped forward, gluing his gaze to the menu's above a blonde head of hair. 

“I’ll have,” He paused, making eye contact. “A triple espresso with three shots of caramel.” The man looked back at him incredulously. 

“No,” 

“You can’t refuse my order, William _,_ ” He said back. 

“I can, doctors orders, _Nico_ ,” Will stressed his name mockingly, teasing in his tone. 

“You’re a barista,” He watched as the other grinned, sealing their eye contact yet again.

“A barista with ambitions,” He fought the urge to smile.

“A barista with an inability to get my drink,” 

“Your order didn’t qualify as a drink, I don’t even think it was a liquid,” 

“A plasma then,” 

Laughing, Will turned to to add his order to a list, mumbling something like, "insufferable," 

Nico walked to a nearby table, pulling out his phone and plugging in headphones. Some band was playing but they couldn't hold his attention. Instead, he was looking over to Will who was currently making his drink. His brows furrowed as he worked, possibly in concentration on the drink. Nico couldn't tell. He glided through the area behind the counter, comfortable in the environment. The sun was hitting his hair, covering it in gold while illuminating the rest of his face. A blush dusted Nico's face, he liked Will.

A while ago he might have locked away feelings like this, denying them or writing them off as admiration. Now though he knew plain and simple he was gay. He supposed it was easy to tell, Bianca must have known, along with his mom. The lingering stares he’d leave on his friends. Or his deep rooted, yet unearned respect for his martial arts trainer. 

He never did anything about these feelings, of course. Even after full acceptance, he’d wait for a relationship to fall in his lap. It did work though, he’d had a total of about four relationships in his life, all which ended. They’d say they wanted more, he’d say he couldn't give that to them. It was a symbiotic dance Nico had no desire to stop. 

Until now.

Until Sunshine showed up with his playful smiles and whole hearted banter. 

Until Nico finally felt like giving. 

“Nico, heart attack in a cup,” Nico walked over to Will, grabbing his drink with an eye roll. He plucked a pen from the counter before sitting back down. 

He sipped his drink, watching customers walk in and out of the shop, making up stories to go along with them. It had been about ten minutes before he reached the end of his cup. He grabbed the stolen pen and scribbled something on it, his number. He set it next to Will on his way out. 

He did something about it. 

\---

Two days later and half way through a painting of his home in italy, Nico received a text. 

Unknown Number > _Finally found the guts to make a move, death boy?_ Nico grinned at his phone, thanking the lord he hadn’t misinterpreted the situation. He almost texted back immediately but thought better of it, he didn’t want to come off too eager and scare him away. Though, if Will wasn’t already weirded out by his eating habits and appearance. Nico felt there was little he could do to push him out.

**I’m not the one who flirted for half of a year with no follow up,** Nico texted back a couple hours later.

_I object, I didn't know your sexuality._

**You didn't know my sexuality, really, truly, did you miss my physical appearance? Do i give you heterosexual vibes, oh god, say its not true.**

_Well I mean, I didn't want to assume? You could have been emo or have daddy issues._

**Hah well, jokes on you im gay, emo, AND have daddy issues.**

_Oh my god_

_Your exactly my type_

***you’re**

_You’re an english student aren’t you?_

**No, actually** _,_ **i’m a painter, i'm majoring in business though, incase i become a starving artist and get sick of my own recipes.**

_…_

_You're an artist_

**yes?**

_Thats hot_

**Mhm yes, acrylic paint is so incredibly attractive**

_I agree_

**You're wrong**

_sure but im not_

_WAIT_

_Did you say “your own recipes”_

_As in, you can cook?_

**I can, yes**

**I usually make my own food because i dont really like any fast food other than mcdonalds.**

_You are the literal embodiment of everything I fear, its impressive_

_and hot_

**Youre a med student, you don't get fear**

_But you agree, you're hot_

**I don't**

**Im not**

_sure sure_

_Annnnnyways i want to get to know you_

_Whats your favourite color?_

**My favorite color literally gives you no information about me.**

_Its black isnt it_

**…**

**yes**

_HAH I knew it, i bet your favorite band is mcr too_

**Its not, its ac dc**

_Oh so you're an edgy emo not a sad emo_

**Whats** **_your_ ** **favourite color**

_Yellow_

**Oh my god**

**Youre like a ball of sunshine**

Contact name changed to: Sunshine 

**Its cute**

Nico finished up the conversation with Will before walking to the kitchen to make dinner. Choosing to make focaccia, an italian dish his mom often made for him and bee. He wasn’t hungry for much else but made parmigiana for later anyways. 

  
  
  



	2. Chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unedited; written at 3 am   
> Have fun

8:00 am > Incoming text from Sunshine: _Hey_

__ **Hey**

_ Are you doing something today? _

__ **Sorta, why?**

_ Hmm, what does sorta mean?  _

__ **Well i'm working on stuff but i can stop at any time**

_ What are you working on? _

__ **Im painting**

**I have an art exhibit in a couple weeks so i actually have to do work and stuff**

_ Oh _

__ **Why’d you ask though**

_ Just not used to you being at the coffee shop _

Read 8:39 am

Nico stared at his phone, eyes widening as he processed Will’s message. The paint on his fingers cracked as his hand hovered over the phone, typing and deleting various responses. Unsure of what the fuck he was supposed to say back. He didn’t know how to do this type of thing, not that he knew what type of thing this was. He was reading too much into this. Will was only making an observation, and Nico was a dumbass who just left him on read for two hours. 

Fuck.

Fuck.

_ Fuck. _

__ Oh look, a bird.

Fuck. 

Nico turned his attention back to his current painting, rushing the strokes to make up for lost time. Having forgotten the original plan for the piece, he went haywire. Spreading dark reds and royal purples over the canvas. Resulting in a furious portrait abstraction of his late father. The man's familiar small smile made prominent with harsh lines. 

His feet were numb as he stepped back, slumping into the chair by his desk. More colors covered his skin than before. Red was smeared under his eyes and neon yellow decorated his arms. The acrylic chemicals leaving a prickly feeling across his body, making his face contort in discomfort. As his eyes began to droop he hauled himself forward onto the bed, exhaustion overcoming him. 

When he woke he found himself draped half way across the mattress, legs and feet dangling off the side. Scrambling to find his phone, he sat up, finding it tucked under his pillow neatly. In an instinct he checked his messages. Four from Jason, seven from Reyna, and three from Will. Oh dear god, Will, he still hadn’t responded to his message from earlier that day, it’d be an asshole move to continue procrastinating and ignoring him. Though, it’d also be an asshole move to ignore his beloved, seemingly concerned best friends.

Reyna:  _ Nico nico nico _

_ There’s a band playing at the bar tonight _

_ You have to come _

_ I need emotional support _

_ Thalias gonna be there  _

_ DUDE PLEASE  _

_ Anssssswerrrrrr _

  
  


Jason:  **Are you gonna go to the bar tonight with Reyna?**

**We need a designated driver**

**Obviously you dont have to take the role but we need to know how many ppl are coming**

**You could bring the guy you were talking about earlier if you dont want to be stuck with our drunk asses**

His actions filled with reluctance, he opened Will’s messages.

Sunshine:  _ Hey so my friend just told me about this band that’s playing at a bar in town tonight _

_ Do you wanna go with us? You dont have to of course just thought id ask _

So much for working on his paintings then. 

**Yeah, one of my friends works there so she’s was already forcing me to go**

**Do you want to like meet up?**

He shut off his phone, unsure of the implications the messages might have left. 

Forcing himself to get up, Nico began cleaning up his painting materials. Setting the painting in his closet as with the rest of his pieces. He opted to leave the paints and brushes on the desk, lacking the energy to organize them. Looking to his right, at the mirror. He saw himself, messy hair, paint splattered limbs, and the same clothes from yesterday. Thankfully, it was only five, meaning he had plenty of time to shower. 

—

The water seared against his body. With haste, he washed his hair. Coming across bits and pieces of dried paint as he did so. An hour passed before he left the shower —- Nico was forever grateful for apartment buildings seemingly infinite supply of hot water —- He dressed quickly, in hopes to make up for lost time. His studded jacket was ripping at the scenes but he figured it’d fine. The bar was dark anyway. 

After finding shoes and his phone, he grabbed his keys off the counter and rushed out the door. He slipped into the car, cautious not to disturb the the papers set about it. His stomach twisted with nerves as he drove. The drive towards the bar was short, seeing as it was the closest one to his home. Reyna and him had met there about a year ago, before he quit drinking. 

He parked on the street, sliding two quarters into the meter. Making his way through the side door of the bar, that should have been employees only. Stepping inside he came to halt after knocking into someone. 

“Jesus dude, back the fuck up,” He said, glaring at Jason. 

“Me? You’re the one who wasn’t looking where you were going!” 

“I was too,” Jason merely chuckled as they walked over to Reyna behind the bar. She stood collected as she set down the cups she seemed to have been cleaning a moment before. They both gave her their orders, Nico only getting a coke. She slid the glasses to them without a word. Her eyes were otherwise fixated on a girl setting up on stage, Thalia. 

Thalia had style to match Nico’s, leather jackets, boots, ripped jeans, eyeliner, yknow, the whole emo kid shabang. Her guitar was in hand as she tuned it. Spiked hair pointing in all directions. Her bandmates, Percy, Clarise, and Annabeth, surrounded her, talking amongst themselves. All cheerful and high spirited as Thalia directed them. 

Percy the drummer, dating annabeth, and significantly less punk than Thalia began counting down a beat. Signifying the rest to get in place. It was only nine at the time barely anyone in the bar, making it ideal for a practice. Thalia and Annabeth started strumming immediately. Clarisse waiting for her cue patiently. 

As they played, Nico looked around in content. Eyes snapping back to the door every now and then, awaiting Will’s arrival. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments are v appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Ty for reading! Kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
